


Hang On to What's Real

by itsallonfire



Series: Your Love is Sunlight (Winter ATLA Femslash Week 2021) [2]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: ATLA Winter Femslash Week 2021, Angst, Arguing, Baking, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Making Up, Stress Baking, aquarius kya wants to be understood for once, kya has to make bread to keep from losing her shit, kyalin - Freeform, lin is probably a taurus, literally what's new, oops lin forgets that her own life has value
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:35:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29158263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsallonfire/pseuds/itsallonfire
Summary: Lin and Kya have had an argument about Lin's recklessness in the field -- but it's nothing some communication (and stress-baking) can't fix.Prompt: Angst/Baking (I combined the two for funsies).
Relationships: Lin Beifong/Kya II
Series: Your Love is Sunlight (Winter ATLA Femslash Week 2021) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138073
Comments: 10
Kudos: 100





	Hang On to What's Real

**Author's Note:**

> Have some light angst! This one is significantly longer than yesterday's fic, so I hope y'all enjoy! Rated T for language.  
> (Title from the song "Blue Healer" by Birdtalker, AKA the perfect kyalin song).

_ What the hell was she thinking? _

_ It’s her job, she knows what her limits are and when to be concerned. _

_ But what about  _ my _ fucking concerns? How can she say that? _

_ She didn’t mean to upset you. _

_ Of course she didn’t, she’s not a dick. She’s just a dumbass sometimes. _

Kya exhaled angrily as she smashed her fist back into the soft ball of bread dough on the counter. It didn’t give the resistance she wanted, but it was far too late at night to go down to the docks and release her tension in the water. She was already on the neighborhood watch’s “possibly not okay in the head” list from the numerous times she’d chosen that method for anger management.

_ She’s being selfish and I fucking wish she would realize it. _

Shaking her head of the narrative, Kya let her hands rest atop the flour-scattered counter. It had been seven minutes since Lin had stormed out of the kitchen -- the amount of time Kya had been kneading the dough told her that. It still felt like hours when Kya acknowledged the thickness of the air. The kind that always lingered after arguments.

When Lin had come home seriously bruised and bloodied the night before, Kya had bandaged her up like normal. (“I love you. You should try and take better care of yourself at work,” Kya had said, to which Lin responded with her standard, “Yeah, I know.”)

No promise of a change. Not even a disingenuous one.

So no wonder Lin had volunteered herself for a particularly dangerous mission into a triad’s hideout the next morning. Kya had woken up to an empty bed and a note scrawled on the table:  _ Home by dinner. _

Despite coming home with only a few scratches, Kya had tried to initiate the conversation of concern and safety. And regardless of Kya’s grievances with Lin putting herself in the line of fire day after day, Lin insisted on the same reasoning:  _ “If I can keep an officer from getting hurt, I will. It’s my body getting fucked up. I can choose what I do with it _ . _ ” _

Kya sighed to herself as she tossed the bread dough against the counter again.

As much as Kya loved her partner, Lin’s obnoxious hard-headed stubbornness was a blessing wrapped in something that looked very much like a nasty curse. 

The sound of the bedroom door opening and clicking shut made Kya hold her breath for a moment, until she heard Lin speak again, from the middle of the kitchen floor.

“I’m sorry,” came Lin’s voice, quiet and low.

Kya chewed on her lip and turned to look at her partner, standing well-postured but looking defeated.

“I shouldn’t…” Lin sighed. “I shouldn’t get so defensive when you try and take care of me. I know it upsets you. I’m sorry.”

Kya pushed away the wooden cutting board and leaned back against the counter, stone cold through the thin summer fabric of her dress. “It does upset me. It upsets me when you pull away about things we’ve talked about before.”

“I know.” Lin’s eyes were on the floor. “I listen, I promise I do, it’s just -- it’s very difficult for me to be honest with myself. It’s difficult for me to accept that -- that it’s not my job to keep every other officer safe.”

Kya nodded. There wasn’t any coloring of dishonesty in Lin’s apology. She sounded about as hurt as Kya felt.

“I think I’ve only ever really had to worry about how I feel, when it comes to getting myself hurt,” Lin added. “I should be trying harder to understand that it’s not the same for you.”

“It scares me, Lin.” Kya bent some water to her hands so she could cross her arms without embedding flour into her sleeves. “I know it’s hard for you to see it but you’re always talking about how it’s your body getting beat up, but… it’s me who has to see you in pain. And that hurts me.”

Lin’s hands came up to rub insecurely at her elbows. “I know. I’m so sorry. We’ve talked about it and I’m sorry that I keep hurting you.”

Kya let her arms fall to her sides again. She saw the tears wobbling along Lin’s eyelids and said, “Thank you for the apology, honey. I know it isn’t easy for you either. I know you’re -- you’re not used to having someone give a shit about you so much.”

“You’re right,” whispered Lin, regret dripping from her lips.

Watching her partner beat herself up across the room felt no better than seeing her come home with injuries, Kya thought. She extended an arm and said, “Come here.”

Lin’s eyes snapped up from the floor, alarmed, as if Kya had spoken the words in a foreign language.

“I want to give you a hug, Lin,” said Kya, almost laughing. “Don’t tell me you’re  _ that  _ love-starved.”

Managing a quivering smile, Lin approached and wrapped Kya up tight in her arms, cheek resting against her partner’s, fingers digging gently into the waterbender’s dress. Kya held her with equal assertion, if not the slightest bit more desperate.

“I love you, Lin,” Kya said softly. “With all your mess, I love you, even when you make me upset. I hope you know that.”

Lin’s grip tightened a little. Kya’s neck smelled like lychee milk and warm oils and it was a beautiful kind of heaven to get lost in.

“I love you, too,” said Lin. “I love you so much. I’m sorry.”

“We’ll work on it, okay?” Kya took Lin’s face in her hands and brought their gaze together gently. “Thank you for apologizing. You’re my love, I want you to be safe and happy. That’s all I want.”

Lin finally smiled when she let herself meet Kya’s eyes again. Pretty and blue and loving. Lin took a breath and lifted one of Kya’s hands off of her cheek to kiss her knuckles carefully.

“Do you want any help?” asked Lin, gesturing to the forgotten lump of unbaked bread on the counter. “I know you stress-bake, but could I do anything?” There wouldn’t be an opportunity for Lin to make the effort to keep herself safer at work until Monday, but desperation to make up for her stubbornness still persisted in her throat.

“Sure.” Kya pecked her lips and said, “You could turn on the oven and wash a bread pan for me.”

Lin nodded before switching the dial to preheat the oven and rinsing a pan in the sink. She could have done it in a second with a simple flick of her finger, but crossing the kitchen gave her the time to appreciate a lack of tension. A welcome change from earlier, when raised voices and lumped-up throats and clenched fists had thickened the air and made it difficult to breathe. The atmosphere had cleared finally, without the anger and frustration hidden in the floorboards anymore.

Lin returned to where her lover stood at the counter, looping her arms around Kya’s waist. She kissed Kya’s shoulder, where the gap in her sleeve revealed soft, dark skin.

“I have a meeting on Monday,” said Lin. “I’ll try and shift some things around. See if I can mess with the first-responding units.” She spoke quietly, like she was stuck in some pensive state of consideration.

Kya turned her head to land a kiss on Lin’s cheek. “Thank you, love.” 

A sigh, and Lin rested her forehead up on Kya’s shoulder. “I really am sorry. I keep -- I keep not wanting to let you care about me. I keep letting my fucking stubbornness take priority over what we both need.”

“I see that.” Kya nodded with a deep breath and looped her fingers with Lin’s. “I also see that you have enough defense mechanisms built up to stop a damn army.”

Lin couldn’t help but chuckle, even through a tear dripping from her eyelashes down to the floor. 

“We’ll work on it,” said Kya. She pushed the bread pan to the side and redirected her attention to sway back and forth soothingly, one hand coming up to touch Lin’s temple. “Nothing is broken. It’s just another step towards understanding each other better, right?”

“Yeah.” Lin squeezed Kya’s waist a little, an expression of affection that didn’t require any extra words. “You’re right.”

Kya brushed off her hands and turned, offering a firm hug before saying, “Go start a bath, okay? With some of that salt I got yesterday. It’ll be good for you.”

“Will you join me?” Lin asked, almost shyly, like it was a strangely childish request.

“Sure.” Kya smiled and patted Lin’s cheek. “Give me a minute to get this bread in the oven and I’ll come join you.” 

A grateful smile sparkled across Lin’s features. She took Kya’s hand and turned to kiss her palm before descending the hallway again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank y'all for reading! Leave a comment or some kudos if you feel so inclined.


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